Would you pay extra for no screaming children? Airlines rethink fees

Long gone are the days in which you paid a price for an airline ticket, and got a decent seat and a meal. Seats have been getting crammed closer and closer together to maximize airline revenue, and for many fliers, you can't even get a drink of water with your airfare. Commonplace fees now include: checked baggage, all beverages, all snacks, better seats (like exit row with a little extra leg room or non-middle seat), and blankets.

Would you pay a fee for additional "perks" on your flight? (As if the above can actually be called perks!) WestJet is surveying its customers and asking that very question. They're considering a $10 fee for things like: priority boarding and exiting, expedited baggage delivery, in-flight internet access, in-seat electricity access, guaranteed space in an overhead bin, and faster clearance through security.

Then there's the "would you like your ticket reduced by $10" for these items: not checking bags, not earning frequent flier miles, taking only one small carry-on, sitting in a middle seat, no free beverages, sitting in a seat that doesn't recline, and sitting near babies and children.

Some of these items are compelling. How I would love to be guaranteed that I don't have to sit near children. In-flight internet and electricity would appeal to me as well. I think that in some ways, rethinking these things makes sense. An airplane isn't meant to be a hotel in the air. It's more like a bus in the air, and a million perks during the flight aren't necessary.

On the other hand, the "nickel and dime" method of flying seems to be doing nothing other than irritating fliers. Many that I talk to would rather just have the "fees" included in the original price of a ticket, rather than being slapped in the face with an extra charge each time they turn around.